Vantaa’s participatory budgeting inspired an influx of ideas
The phase for brainstorming and submitting ideas to Vantaa’s participatory budgeting ended on 30 November. About 2 000 ideas were received during the month-long submission phase. Next, the city will process all the ideas and assess whether they are suitable for participatory budgeting and what they will cost. Ideas to be put to the vote in April 2024.
Mayor Pekka Timonen is pleased with the results of the first, city-wide brainstorming phase: − The people of Vantaa really worked hard on their ideas, and submissions were received from all major districts. Participatory budgeting is a good way to make residents' needs visible and to use the knowledge they possess as a starting point for city development.
Deputy Mayor of the Urban Culture and Wellbeing Department Riikka Åstrand adds: − We received a lot of ideas regarding things such as exercise and outdoor activities. In addition, there were plenty of different ideas for events and wishes concerning the development of parks and green areas. Among them were many good ideas that we can put to the vote in the spring, and the most popular ones can then be implemented. The start of this multi-step process has been a success!
Next steps
The city will process the ideas submitted and estimate how much each of them will cost. In the processing, ideas can be combined and modified, or rejected if they do not meet the criteria for participatory budgeting.
Once the processing has been completed, some of the ideas will advance to the voting phase included in participatory budgeting. Residents submitted a lot of similar ideas, and the city will combine them for the vote. An idea submitted to participatory budgeting may cost a maximum of EUR 100,000 and it must be such that it can be implemented within two years. Ideas that exceed these limits will not be put to the vote.
Vote in April 2024
Participatory budgeting will continue in April 2024, when the best ideas will be voted for implementation.
Vantaa residents can freely choose one major region and vote for their favourite idea for that region online or on paper at libraries. Each major region has one library where paper voting is possible.
Digital support for voting is available at Vantaa Info and community centres. All Vantaa residents who turn 13 in 2024 or are older than that can participate in the vote.
After the confirmation of the voting result, the chosen projects will be developed together by the residents and the city in a co-creation process before their implementation.
The city will implement the participatory budgeting projects in 2024–2025.
Schedule for participatory budgeting in Vantaa
- 1–30 November 2023: Brainstorming
- 1 December 2023–31 March 2024: Reviewing of proposals
- 1 April –21 April 2024: Voting
- 2 May–30 June 2024: Co-development
- Summer 2024–December 2025: Project implementation
